A Moment That Shapes You
by ksmathers
Summary: A memory of a brief but defining encounter between Pandora and Luna


Pandora stepped hurriedly into the mud room and slammed the door shut behind her. Even so, a small flurry of snowflakes managed to follow her inside. Stomping her feet clear of snow, Pandora began shedding layers of clothing. Mukluks off in favor of slippers. Autumn gold muffler and peacock green shawl were unwound with a quick flick of the wrist, briefly adding another small snowstorm to the mud room floor. The bulky fawn colored great coat was hung on an oversized wood peg, after which Pandora shrugged first the sage button down, and then the black merino sweaters over her head and into the wicker basket.

Frigid cold made the air dry so that now Pandora's golden locks stood pointy-out, all around her head. To nine-year-old Luna, cuddled warmly under her Afghan near the fireplace, Pandora's lustrous rosy cheeks, and golden halo of hair made her seem almost angelic as she stepped inside from mud room to family room. "Mama, you are soooo beautiful," Luna cried.

"Darling, not so beautiful as you!" Pandora quoted from her daughter's favorite fairy tale. "Yet beauty is both blessing and curse as you shall see as I unfold this tale."

"Tell it, tell it!" Sock footed Luna threw ran to her mother pulling earnestly on her hands, to get her to pick her up and whirl them around.

"Not now love, it is already after noon and I promised your father a sun-filled treat for dinner to take away some of the gloom of these long winter nights. And why are you inside anyway, when there is snow to play in outside?"

As Pandora settled Luna back onto the worn wood floor Luna looked down, ashamed to answer. "What is it sunny frumpkin? What is it that you don't want to tell to your own mother?"

"They made fun of me."

"Who made fun of you?"

"The other kids. On the sledding hill. They said that my snow-suit makes me look like a fat old brown bear."

"Did they say that?", Pandora asked, tipping her daughter's chin up to meet her eyes.

"Um hm." Luna's lower lip began to wobble.

"And which part is the bad part? Is it bad to be like a bear?"

"No…", mused Luna, "bears are beautiful."

"Well then, is it being brown? There are some bears that are brown, and your snowsuit is brown, so it that it?"

"No… I don't think so. I like brown."

Pandora laughed, "Yes, I know you do. It is your favorite color. I try to give you things that are pink, or blue, or orange, and you always want them to be brown!"

Luna smiled too. "Brown is the color of the horse I'm going to get when I'm old enough. That's why."

"Ok, then is it being old then? I think sometimes you are almost and old and wise as I am."

"No, I want to be a grown up, just like you and Dad," Luna said seriously, to which the only possible response was a bit of a tickle. As soon as Luna got over her giggles Pandora asked, "Is it being called fat then? Bears must always be round when the winter comes or else they would starve before Spring."

Luna puzzled for a minute. "Mama, it isn't what they said, it is how they said it. You could tell that they wanted me to feel bad, and that is what made me feel bad."

Pandora removed her smile and looked closely at her child. "You see, you are indeed older and wiser than I am, but I do have some wisdom to share with you little one."

"When someone criticizes you for how you look, or what you wear, or how much money you have, or even for the color of your hair, it isn't really about you, it is about them. Some people when they are feeling weak or vulnerable lash out and hurt others so that they can prove to their companions that they are stronger or more important, but all it really proves is that they don't know how to impress them with beauty, or intelligence, or kindness."

"If I were you, I would go out and wear my favorite suit, in my favorite color, and which keeps me really, really warm even in the middle of winter, and be so confident that everyone could tell just by looking at me that I couldn't give a knut for their insults."

"Mama," Luna said in her most serious voice, "I want to grow up to be just like you."

"Ok giggle toes," Pandora replied. "Now let me get to the kitchen. I want to finish up in time to get back to the lab. I'm working on something very, very special for your birthday tomorrow, and I'll be lucky to finish up before midnight at this rate." Then with a kiss for her nose and a pat on her bottom Pandora lifted Luna back onto the old sofa and tucked her in. "Why don't you compose a new lullaby for me and if you teach it to me I will sing you to sleep with it tomorrow, ok?"

"Ok," said Luna, humming to herself.


End file.
